To all who have read this, I wish all of you a Happy New Year!
I’ll be back tomorrow for more interesting conversations with my spark of creativity. Same Walker Estate time, same Walker Estate place.
I’ll see you all next year, in 2017!
Year: 2016
Me & My Muse – Day 1271: Closing Up the Year
For starters, the chopped spinach for the spinach dip is thawing for tomorrow. What remains is updating the music on my iTunes and watching this year’s Christmas.
In having the rest of the day off, I’ll be able to relax. Today was my very last shift of 2016. I will return to work an opening shift on January 2, 2017.
That’s the gist of it. Time to get ready, update that music and watch that footage.
Today’s high is going to be 29 degrees and the silver lining is being able to reflect on 2016 and everything that has happened this year.
To those of you who are reflecting on 2016, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: 2016 was a good year. And it’s going to end good with me being a fairy now. Tee hee!
Me & My Muse – Day 1270: Christmas: Part II
A quick version of what went on tonight (mostly because I’m tired).
I had dinner at my grandparents house. I then had the white elephant gift exchange. More gifts followed with the evening ending with dessert and hot cocoa. That’s pretty much this evening in a nutshell.
Today’s high is going to be 35 degrees and the silver lining is spending time at my grandparents.
To those of you who like exchanging gifts with other family, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: You had a gift exchange? So did I! I loved seeing all of my other family. Especially my cousins! Tee hee!
Me & My Muse – Day 1269: End of Year Checklist…
Since I’m a little tired tonight, I’m going to cut this short.
Last night, I went and saw Rogue One again with my cousins. I got a lot more out of the movie and it was a lot of fun.
Tomorrow, I will go shopping for New Years snacks after work.
And that end of year checklist? Most of the items are already done. There are a few things that I want to get done before the end of 2016. I have already wrote my one-year bible reading plan for next year on the calendar. I already paid the credit card bills on Christmas, but I have found all the highlights for 2016.
Besides that, I now need to have dinner, play a little of my game, and go to bed.
Today’s high is going to be 35 degrees and the silver lining is being able to enjoy some time off later.
To those of you who still have to finish up things for 2016, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: I’m enjoying my new gifts very much. Time to read another new book. End of year checklist? I have one too! Fortunately, mine is pretty short. Tee hee!
Me & My Muse – Day 1268: The Mission Continues…
What mission? The mission to recover the plans to the Death Star, of course!
Tonight, I will be seeing Rouge One in 3D with my brother and my cousins. It should be a lot of fun to see this again. I will be paying close attention to what’s going on, considering that I have seen it before.
And to put things in perspective, I have already started on my end of year checklist. More on that tomorrow.
Today’s high is going to be 30 degrees and the silver lining is being able to enjoy the company today.
To those of you who like re-watching blockbusters, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: Oh! You’re seeing it again? Hang on! Let me get my Princes Leia dress back out! This should be fun. Tee hee!
Me & My Muse – Day 1267: Christmas Aftermath
With Christmas being over, I will now share with you the Christmas that I experienced.
When I woke up, my brother was the only other person up. I did my devotional and waited for everyone else to get up.
Eventually, my parents woke up. After that, we started opening the gifts. This is what it looked like before.
Muse: Wow! That’s a lot of gifts!
I know. This is what it looked like after we opened them.
Muse: That reminds me of the gifts that I opened couple days ago. The tree looked just like that when we were done.
It always does. But it was fun while it lasted.
After we opened gifts, we had an egg dish for breakfast.
After that, I took inventory of my gifts. For those of you who are wondering, this is what I got for Christmas.
Muse: That’s a lot of gifts! For me, I got mostly books this year.
I know. I’m guessing that you had a good Christmas.
Muse: I did. All the Intangibles came over to my house and we celebrated Christmas there. Besides books, I got some jewelry, some lipstick and a couple of electronics.
That’s a lot of good gifts. Moving on with the recap, I got ready and I went over to my grandparents. Me, my brother, my sister and my cousins all had dinner, had dessert, and came home. The dinner was prime rib, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, zucchini casserole, black and green olives and spinach salad with pepe, corn, craisins and feta cheese. The desserts consisted of some things that grandma already baked. A couple brownies, some chocolate dipped pretzels, and some other desserts that I had to take home, since they were made with coffee. I just took a brownie and a chocolate dipped pretzel..
Muse: That’s quite a spread! The food that we had was a little different, since not everyone there liked Tangible food.
Well, that’s the gist of it. Having shared that with you, I now need to get ready.
Muse: I need to ready myself. See you later!
I really need to get going so I can enjoy what’s left of my day. Having worked already this morning, I wasn’t able to enjoy my gifts like everyone else. Today’s high is going to be 55 degrees and the silver lining is having the rest of the day off and being able to enjoy my Christmas gifts.
To those of you who are enjoying your new gifts, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: I may be a Time Lady, but I’m going to stay in this fairy form a little longer. Besides, I get to be a fairy Time Lady! I got a lot of gifts this year! And with all those new books, I’m going to have a lot of reading to do. Tee hee…
My Writing Journey – Merry Christmas! (12/25/2016)
My Writing Journey will resume in January of 2017. Until then, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Me & My Muse – Day 1266: Merry Christmas!
Once again, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. This is, without a doubt, my most favorite holiday. Christmas morning. Now it may be early, but I’m up and ready to open my presents. My parents may still be sleeping, but I’m excited. If it’s any part of me that has never grown up, it’s the part of me that acts four on Christmas morning.
Muse: For me, that just happened. I am so excited! Tee hee!
But for Christmas, how excited are you?
Muse: I’m very excited. Tee hee! Part of me wants to squeal with excitement, but I will spare you that since I don’t want to wake up your parents. I’ll do it quietly instead. *whispering* Yaaaay!!!!
I can see that one part of you hasn’t grown up either.
Muse: Who EVER grows up on Christmas morning? When I wake up on this day, I feel like I’m five again. Adulthood can wait for one day, can’t it?
It can. And I see that you’re cozy with your footie pajamas…
Muse: I am, and I’m not taking them off. They feel comfortable and they keep me warm. You’ve worn them before so you should know, right?
Right. Getting back to what you said. Adulthood can wait on Christmas. Whatever memories I have had when I was younger, they all return on this day. Now this may differ for some people. But for most, they can feel some aspect of their childhood calling back…
Muse: Yes. And some people fight it and repress it. They try to hide it, but this is unhealthy. Everyone. If you feel excited on this day, don’t hesitate to let it out. Listen to your memories and set them free. Remember your youth, and how fun Christmas was for you. Your memories only want to remind you of this. Listen to them and recapture the moment. Take a step back in time. Christmas only comes once a year! Tee hee!
I totally agree. But remember. There is another side of Christmas. A side that some people don’t pay attention to. Christmas is not about presents and Santa Claus. It’s about the birth of Jesus Christ.
Muse: Yes. I also look at the Advent Season when I celebrate this time of year. We need to know why we give these gifts.
And we do. What can we give to God what he doesn’t already have? All we can give to him is ourselves. And while we can’t give anything else to him, we give gifts to others to show our love and appreciation for them.
Muse: I also think of the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. It’s the only special where we hear the true meaning of Christmas.
Yes. Linus quotes the Christmas story found in Luke. Matthew refers to the Wise Men delivering gifts to the baby Jesus.
Muse: What were these gifts for, anyway? I understand the symbolic meaning behind them. I believe they were used to pay for the trip to Egypt.
It probably was, for they had to flee from Herod, since he issued orders to kill every firstborn male baby. Jesus is the reason for the season. He was born to be the perfect sacrifice. To bear the sins of humanity so that we may live.
Muse: It must have been a heavy burden to bear all that.
It was. Today is indeed a joyful day.
Muse: Should we make him a birthday cake? I don’t know what frosting he would like!
I think he would be happy with any frosting.
Anyway, I want to wish everyone who is reading this Merry Christmas. Whether you celebrate one side, both, or don’t celebrate Christmas at all, understand that this is a very special day. Most importantly because Jesus was born on this day, both for you and for me. And from this day, many traditions have developed. The most popular one being the exchange of gifts.
The high today is going to be 35 degrees and the silver lining is celebrating the birth of Christ and the opening of presents. My parents are still not up. But when they are, it’s present opening time!
To all of you who celebrate Christmas, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: Merry Christmas, Kyle! My company just arrived so I’ll see you later! Tee hee…
Me & My Muse – Day 1265: Twas the Day Before Christmas…
…and all through the house
Kyle’s got no work so there’s no need to grouse
His Santa cap was sitting on the bedpost with care
Reserved just for Christmas to be crowned on his hair
Kyle’s begun his two days of vacation
Just two whole days of rest and relaxation
Then out of the oven before they get black
I will feast on few a Christmas snack
Then to herald the evening such a sight it will be
When he attends the Christmas Eve service at Midland Free
Then off to my grandma’s house with plenty of cheer
A gathering with snacks. The company’s near
My aunt and my uncles, my grandparents too
All three of my cousins, all this I knew
The gathering warm, the noises were loud
The snacking and chatting from a sizable crowd
The day will be merry, the night will be bright
With plenty of snacks on this cold winter night
Then when I get home, I’ll don my PJ’s quick
So we can see a good Christmas flick
Then after that, it is on to tradition
My brother and me must carry out our mission
The door will be closed, the room filled with heat
When we both watch The Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
Following that, it’s off to bed
Visions of CDs and games will dance in our heads
Looking at this, that’s all I have to say
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good day
Muse: Christmas is tomorrow! Eee! I’m so excited!
I know! Today is the day I can finally take a breather. With it being Saturday, I don’t have to worry about going to work…
Muse: All my things are done too. It’s only a matter of time…I’m so excited! Tee hee!
Wait. You’re a fairy? Why are you a fairy?
Muse: I love this form! And it goes so well with Christmas. You know how that is. Tee hee!
Well, if it makes you happy, go ahead. What about being a Time Lady? Are you going to abandon that for Christmas?
Muse: I will. I talked to The Doctor about that. He’s perfectly fine with me being a fairy for a couple days. And I talked to the Dark Muse a little earlier. She won’t bother me this year. If she does, I told her that I would turn her into a gnat!
That’s good to hear. Today is going to be exciting. It will be a day to relax before the excitement tomorrow…
Muse: I’m going to shower. Be back in a bit!
Okay. I need to shower myself.
Today’s high is going to be 37 degrees and the silver lining is watching the movie with my brother later tonight. This day is going to be quite fun. I have today and tomorrow off from work. For today and tomorrow, I’ll be in vacation mode. It will be a day of snacking, relaxing and visiting with the family.
To all of you who love having a couple days off, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: Tee hee! I can’t wait until tomorrow! I wish I could open my presents early! Eee! I’m so excited! Tee hee…
Me & My Muse – Day 1264: All Aboard!
If Tom Hanks was a train conductor, this is what he would be shouting outside your house on Christmas Eve.
Now what would Tom Hanks be doing here? Your train has arrived. You stopped believing in Santa Claus so you are now greeted by a magical train. A train bound for the North Pole. Make your decision quick. The train conductor is very strict about being on time and he is not going to wait for you another minute.
If your decision was yes, then welcome aboard. You are on The Polar Express. A special service offered to help kids who have any lingering doubts about the man in red. The ride is free, and every kid will meet Santa before he takes off to deliver his gifts around the world.
Tonight, I will be seeing this movie. If I have said it before, I will say it again. This movie gets better and better every time you see it. It’s magical and nostalgic. Can you remember your childhood memories about Christmas? This movie will bring them all back, because you, the viewer, are riding that train with them.
Muse: So you’re seeing the Polar Express? I LOVE that movie! Tee hee! Rather than seeing it alone, I think I’ll join you.
Please do. Just remember, miss. The conductor does not like to wait. We want to start the movie ON TIME and end ON TIME! We have a tight schedule to keep tonight…
Muse: Okay, Tom Hanks.
Besides that, I have a 8-2 shift to work at Little Caesars. After that, I’ll watch the movie.
The high today is going to be 40 degrees and the silver lining will be watching The Polar Express tonight.
To those of you who love reliving your childhood memories through Christmas Movies, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: To gear up for the movie tonight, I’m brewing up a a large pot of HOT CHOCOLATE! Hot hot! Oh, we got it! I love that movie. Tee hee!
Me & My Muse – Day 1263: The True Meaning of Christmas
Since I’m running out of time, I’ll cut to the chase.
I work from 8:00 to 2 and then I’m going right home. In the evening, I will watch The Nativity Story with my brother.
Muse: That is a good movie. I plan on watching it myself…
I will now get ready.
Today’s high is going to be 38 degrees and the silver lining is watching The Nativity Story with Ryan.
To those of you who look forward to Christmas, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: Oh yeah! There’s one more gift that I forgot to wrap! Better finish wrapping it now…
Movie Review: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
(SPOILER WARNING: For those who have not seen Rogue One, I strongly advise that you stop reading this review. This review will contain numerous spoilers from the movie. The rating will be spoiler-free, so skip to the end if you want no spoilers. You have been warned.)
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….
Have you ever been told a really good story? And then, in the middle of the story, the one telling you it suddenly stops. It may have been a bedtime story from when you were little, or one that a really good friend has told you. They start telling you the story, and then stop.
After that, for what seems like ages, they finally continue with their story. As a kid, waiting a whole day to hear the next part may seem like ages. Or your friend may have been out of town for a while. When they finally get back, they continue with the story.
You get the point. This story I’m referring to is a story of good versus evil. The light side versus the dark side of the Force. Jedi masters versus Sith lords. It started in the middle. It continued with the beginning. And now, after 30 years, the story finally continues. This is the wonderful and amazing story of Star Wars.
And if it’s been a while since you have seen a Star Wars movie, here’s a brief refresher. Okay. It’s really not that brief. For the actual review, skip down past the recap.
On the desert planet of Tatooine, a pregnant Shmi Skywalker gives birth to a boy named Anakin. Having no father, Anakin was believed to be conceived by the will of the Force. Years later, excessive taxation for the trade routes around the outlying star systems has the Galactic Republic in an uproar. With this in mind, two Jedi knights were dispatched to settle the conflict. Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Darth Sidious, the Sith lord wanted them killed when they reached Naboo, but they escaped from his clutches.
After taking off, their attackers pursued them, and damaged their ship’s hyperdrive. They landed on Tatooine, needing a replacement part before they could leave. And…let’s cut to the chase. They meet Anakin, they enter a pod race, Anakin wins and they get the money for their ship part and to buy Anakin’s freedom from being a Toydarian junkyard slave. Anakin wants to go with the two Jedi knights and the Queen of Naboo’s assistant. Later, we find that the assistant was the queen in hiding. With Darth Sidious’s apprentice, Darth Maul tasked to capture the queen and kill the Jedi, he was hot on their tail. They escape with the queen.
In the end, Anakin destroys the droid control ship and Obi-Wan defeats Darth Maul. Qui-Gon Jinn tells Obi-Wan to train Anakin to become a Jedi.
Episode II has more of this, with it mainly being a love story between Anakin and Padme Amidala. Shmi is killed and it makes Anakin angry, slaughtering a whole Tusken community. Men, women and children. Anakin and Padme rescue their friends on Geonosis. The droid army fights the Jedis, and the clone army cleans out the droids. Count Dooku fights Yoda, but was unsuccessful in besting him. The Jedis hear the shocking news about Darth Sidious controlling the Senate. Anakin and Padme have a secret wedding on Naboo, with C-3PO and R2-D2 as the only ones present.
Episode III takes a turn for the worse. The Galactic Republic becomes the Galactic Empire. With Anakin being enticed by Senator Palpatine, he begins the gradual turning away from his Jedi ways to the dark side, and becoming a Sith. He kills all the Padawan learners in the Jedi temple and is given the title “Darth Vader”. On Mustafar, Obi-Wan does battle with Darth Vader, his very pupil twisted by the dark side. Vader is badly injured by the fire, burning up along the shore. Padme dies in childbirth, giving birth to twins. She names them both before she dies. Luke was the first one and Leia was the second one. Both of the children were separated. Leia was taken to Alderaan and Luke was taken to Tatooine. Darth Vader was rescued by Darth Sidious and was placed in black armor, with a face mask and helmet to match. The saga begins.
IV, V and VI are straightforward. In IV, The rebel alliance find hope through Obi-Wan Kenobi, who trains Luke Skywalker to become a Jedi. After fighting Darth Vader, Obi-Wan dies. Luke uses a rebel X-Wing fighter to blast a proton torpedo into a small exhaust port leading to the Death Star’s reactor. In V, Luke trains under Master Yoda in the Dagobah system to become a Jedi. He leaves without finishing his training, since he sensed that his friends were in danger. Luke flies to Cloud City and Han Solo gets frozen in Carbonite. Luke does battle with Darth Vader and discovers a chilling secret: Vader is his father. Luke loses a hand and manages to escape, and is rescued by his friends on the Millennium Falcon, thanks to Leia being able to sense Luke being in danger. In VI, Luke leads a rescue effort on Tatooine to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt. Han is unfrozen and they escape. Leia is also rescued in the process. Luke returns to Dagobah with a dying Yoda telling him that no further training is needed and that “there is another Skywalker”. With another Death Star under construction, they travel to the shield generator on the forest moon of Endor to deactivate it. The rebel group is captured by Ewoks and C-3PO shows off his divine powers, thanks to Luke’s use of the Force. With C-3PO sharing the story, they agree to fight the empire. Luke is apprehended by the Empire and enticed by Darth Sidious to join the dark side. The rebels begin their fight against the stormtroopers and disabling the shield generator. Luke resists the Emperor and Vader saves his son. Just before the finishing bolts are delivered, Vader lifts up the Emperor and throws him into the Death Star’s power core/reactor shaft. Luke has a nice father-son chat with Anakin before he dies. The Millennium Falcon destroys the Death Star’s main reactor and Luke escapes. The Empire has fallen. The entire Galaxy celebrates the victory.
So there’s the refresher. And after 30 years, the story continues…or does it? This is already been visited with The Force Awakens. This time, we’re taking a trip back in time. After the events of Revenge of the Sith but before A New Hope. Why are we traveling back in time? An important plot element has to be explained. The Rebels had access to the plans of the Death Star. But where did they get those plans? How did they acquire them? This is the premise of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, another prequel released by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Walt Disney Studios.
To start things off, Star Wars is an epic space opera centered around a film series created by George Lucas. From its humble beginnings and phenomenal success, it has become an iconic franchise. In just the merchandising sector alone, the Star Wars brand is worth more than $30 billion, with $4.38 billion coming from the six films alone. And an additional $2.07 billion made from The Force Awakens just a year ago. With a combined film gross of nearly $6.5 billion, It is a cultural phenomenon that has started with the first film and has continued to this day.
With J.J Abrams treatment of The Force Awakens, we know that he was spot on in nailing all the key elements that everyone really loves about the Star Wars franchise. Disney can make a Star Wars movie, and they more than proved it last year. With Rogue One, however, we’re going in a totally different direction. We have Gareth Edwards who is directing this project. Known for directing the 2014 reboot of Godzilla, he has one good movie under his belt. But for Star Wars, you want to be very careful. With a rookie like him, how does Edwards manage with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story? Do we see a wonderful addition to the plot of the movie, or is this side story just a big waste of time and investment for Disney? Let’s find out.
The movie begins with imperial ships touching down on the planet of Lah’mu. The ships are there to apprehend Galen Erso (Mad Mikkelsen), a research scientist. He has stopped working on the unfinished Death Star project and imperial weapons developer Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) wants him to continue on it.
Galen refuses and is captured by Krennic and the imperials. Galen’s wife Lyra Erso (Valene Kane) is killed and their daughter Jyn (Beau Gadsdon) escapes.
Moments later, she is taken to safety by rebel extremist Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker).
Fifteen years later, Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed) defects from the Empire. During this time, Jyn (Felicity Jones) is freed from Imperial captivity by the Rebels, who planned to use her to track down Galen Erso, her father. In spite of this, General Draven (Alitair Petrie) wants Rebel intelligence officer Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) to kill Galen instead of capturing him.
Jyn, Andor, and his droid K-2SO travel to Jedha, where the Empire is mining Kyber crystals to power the Death Star. While they’re doing this, Gerrera and his team are engaged in combat against them. With the help of blind warrior Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) and mercenary Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen), Jyn contacts Gerrera, who is holding Rook captive. Gerrera shows Jyn the hologram, in which Galen explains that he covertly compromised the Death Star’s reactor design, directing them to find the plans at an Imperial high-security data bank on the planet Scarif.
With this knowledge, the Death Star plans are ripe for the taking. Will Jyn be able to reach Scarif and recover the plans? Or will the Empire shut down their plan before it even happens? And what is Rogue One and how is this team formed? Will there be a “New Hope” for the galaxy? Watch the movie and find out.
In looking at the length of the movie, I thought that it was pretty balanced. The typical Star Wars movie is about this length, with the pacing being just right. The plot progresses at a smooth pace, helping us to take in all the new scenery and characters. And with the ending of the movie, you know how well it connects to Episode IV: A New Hope. Episode VIII is slated for release in 2017. The classic Star Wars score was great to hear again. After all, it is the same one that scored all the other Star Wars movies.
In looking at the characters, I loved the new characters and the old cameos. The old characters were just cameos and we got enough screen time to get to know the new characters. I loved the cameos for C-3PO and Princess Leia. Darth Vader’s performance was killer and his cameo was executed well.
The new characters were portrayed quite well. We have Jyn, which I really loved. With her strong-willed attitude and personality, I liked her portrayal and where she fit in the Rogue One mission. We also have Chirrut Imwe, Bodhi Rook, Baze Malbus, Cassian Andor, and K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), to name a few. With the new characters, I feel like they all fulfilled their part of the Rogue One story well..
And what can I say about the nitpicks? For one thing, I have a problem with the title. For any Star Wars movie, you should have Star Wars in the main title. To call it Rogue One: A Star Wars Story kind of makes Star Wars secondary. Calling it Star Wars: Rogue One would’ve been a little better. But with it being a side story, I would imagine that they didn’t want to confuse too many fans in thinking that this is the next chapter in the Star Wars saga. Besides that, I can’t really find anything else that I can nitpick about the film. The film was great and a great way to include some side story between Episode III and Episode IV.
How did Rogue One: A Star Wars Story do? Having reviewed the recent box office results, it’s doing phenomenal. While it didn’t do as well as The Force Awakens’ opening day gross of $119,119,282, it managed to still gross around $71,094,394. With it currently being the eigth highest grossing movie of the Star Wars series, I am confident that this will at least reach three or four very soon. At the very highest, it will probably rank behind The Force Awakens. In rounding up the numbers from the past trilogy, Episode I grossed a $64.8 million weekend gross. Episode II grossed $80 million and Episode III grossed $108.4 million. For The Force Awakens, it grossed $248 million. And what’s the opening weekend gross for Rogue One? Just $150.1 million. Almost $100 million behind Episode VII a year ago. The current domestic gross is $190.3 million. It’s not going to catch The Force Awakens, which made $288.1 million only six days into its release. That’s almost a $100 million difference between the two domestic totals. In adding the foreign gross of $166.8 million, the worldwide gross stands at $357.1 million. With a production budget of $200 million, it has secured most of that in just one weekend alone. And that’s just domestically. This movie might crack the top ten, but it will have to work to get there. It will certainly reach $1 billion eventually. Casting my nitpick aside, I really loved this movie. I loved the story behind the mission and how it was portrayed. Yes, it was filler for Episode VIII, but I would rather them not rush the next movie if they are to get it right. And the filler was quite satisfying. Edwards was careful to not take the easy path with soundstages and actually film a lot of the movie on location, and using movable models for the ships, like they did in all the other ones. Edwards has nailed it. The story was a great edition,, and I encourage many others to see this movie. I would see it again, thus adding $7 more dollars to it’s total gross. Star Wars is Lucas’s baby and Disney knows this. And with two good Star Wars movies in Disney’s hands, I am confident that they will successfully continue the legacy that George Lucas has started. The opening crawl and the breathtaking visuals create a truly unique Star Wars experience. And with the new characters and a solid plot, I am certain that this will become a new favorite that will be admired by generations to come. I eagerly await Episode VIII and I give Rogue One: A Star Wars Story a 4.5 out of 5.
Me & My Muse Go To the Movies #8: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – Part II
Okay. It’s been almost five days since we saw the movie. Are we going to talk about it, or what?
Muse: Yes. I’m ready.
You slept in quite a bit today, didn’t you? Until 1:00 in the afternoon if I can recall correctly…
Muse: There’s a reason for that. For the past few nights, I kept having these nightmares about Darth Vader. I was Jyn, and I was cornered…then he minced me into pieces with his lightsaber…
*sigh* Is that the only reason?
Muse: Yes. I know…It’s pretty dumb, isn’t it? I have these dreams a lot in some of the mystery books that I read…
Well anyway, let’s get to the movie.
Let’s begin with first impressions. What did you think of the beginning? There was a scene where some imperial ships arrive on the planet Lah’mu to approach a family.
Muse: I loved the beginning. The title crawl was a little different. That startled me when those imperial ships showed up. What were they up to?
After that, the father gets kidnapped, the mother gets killed and the girl escapes. The rebels end up finding her instead…
Muse: I loved the escape. In looking at the characters, I like Felicity Jones. I thought that it was good to have a female protagonist.
Let’s not forget Jiang Wen, Riz Ahmed, Diego Luna, and Donnie Yen. They all made up the key players in the Rogue One team.
Muse: Yup. The team led by Jyn Erso.
Yeah. Touching a little more on the movie, it was a little departure from Episode VIII. Instead of going there, they decided to cover some back story that explained how the rebels got the plans to the Death Star. So this was basically right before Episode IV.
Muse: I don’t mind the change of pace at all. If anything, it sets everything up nicely for Episode VIII, which I definitely can’t wait for…
I can’t wait until Episode VIII either. Now the ending, I really loved the ending. Princess Leia…
Muse: Shhh! Don’t mention the ending! The Mystery Box is still closed for some people.
Very well. This will be mostly spoiler-free. But be fairly warned. In my review for this movie, there will be spoilers. Lots of them. So much so that the review will be prefaced with a spoiler warning.
Muse: That’s fine. With having an informal discussion about the movie, I want to make sure that we don’t spoil it for everyone…But yeah. The ending is really really good. Tee hee!
Overall, I give the movie a 4.5 out of 5. It’s not really as good as The Force Awakens but it’s still really good and action-packed. It was a really good prequel that filled in some backstory. Backstory that just might explain some future events in the later parts of the Star Wars Saga beyond The Force Awakens…
Muse: 4.5, huh? That’s a little bit generous. I give it a 4 out of 5. For it to earn that extra star, it really has to grow on me. And over time, it will. I know that it will…
Thanks for your comments on the movie. With that, I will definitely have to see it again.
Muse: See it again! And to be honest, I think I know why you want to. You fell asleep during parts of the movie, didn’t you?
So what? It was really late and I was really tired.
Muse: Well, I was wide awake the whole time! So you’re seeing it again? I think that I’m going to…And my Princess Leia dress needs to be washed. It’s stained with popcorn seasoning from a few days ago. See you tomorrow…
I’ll let you do that.
That’s it for the discussion. Stay tuned for the review!
Until then, I’ll see you shortly for the review!
Me & My Muse – Day 1262: I’m All About That List…
Santa’s list. No trouble! Just kidding. Like last year, I am working on a new list. The list that I am making is a list of all the things that I need to do before Christmas. It is a short list, and I plan on getting mostly everything done on it within the next few days.
The Winter Solstice is also today, so if you think our days are too short, don’t worry. Today will be the shortest day of the year. After that, our days will slowly and gradually get longer and longer.
Getting back to the list, one of those items has already gotten done on Sunday. My bedding was washed, so that’s one less thing to worry about.
That is an example of one of the items on my list. As for the others, I will leave that up to your imagination to figure them out.
Muse: You don’t have a list.
That is where you are wrong. The list that I have is a mental list. It saves paper and I can throw it away when I am done.
Muse: Fair enough. With you being a Division Director now, you surely have a couple of Toastmasters things on that list, right?
I do, and the items on my list are ordered by priority. I will get to those items as the others are completed. Besides, my timeline for working on some of those items will be after Christmas…
Muse: My Intangible Toastmasters District has grown a lot from last year.. There are more than 100 Districts from the original 10 that we had two years ago…
Sounds good. Another item on that list is more recreational, and it has already been completed.
Muse: Christmas footage, right? I just got through my 28th Christmas. I don’t have too many more to go!
Well, it’s time to complete our lists!
Muse: I’m way ahead of you on that. Good luck on yours. Bye!
It’s time to take a breather. I already packed my lunch and get ready for tomorrow. The delivery for the store already came today. It’s all put away so that’s one less thing to worry about. With that, I’ll definitely try to go to bed early tonight.
Today’s high is going to be 34 degrees and the silver lining will be getting more items on my list accomplished.
To everyone who loves to work on their to-do list, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: I don’t have much more to do on my list! Time to go and make some cookies! These are going to be good…
Me & My Muse – Day 1261: Christmas Toast
Am I making a special Christmas toast today? No. This title is referring to a Toastmasters meeting that I will be having tonight. With it starting in about two and a half hours, I better get ready for it.
That’s pretty much the gist for today.
Today’s high is going to be 32 degrees and the silver lining is going to a Toastmasters meeting tonight.
To those of you who like evening events, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: That reminds me. I think that I have a Toastmasters meeting tonight too. I better see how that club is doing…
Me & My Muse – Day 1260: Twas the NES Before Christmas…
Twas the NES before Christmas and all through the house
My friend came over with a cold yet to douse
The tissues were stocked in the bedroom with care
To battle cold season, just get out of here
He came, it was merry. A whole lot of fun
We baked some more chex mix while playing Super Mario Run
Then we rose from our spots, it was time to get dinner
McDonald’s to go in the dead cold of winter
While we ate our food, a Christmas classic was played
Animaniacs on Netflix, a Nativity scene was portrayed.
Then my friend got real tired, and he drove out of sight
Merry NESmas to all, and to all a good night.
Muse: That was awesome!
I know. Time to get ready for bed since my friend left. I have not forgotten about Rogue One. We can talk about it tomorrow.
Muse: Okay. Good night, Kyle!
*Muse re-enters her Pink TARDIS*
Time to get ready for bed now. Tomorrow, the five day countdown begins…
Today’s high is going to be 18 degrees and the silver lining is my friend coming over.
To those of you who like the company of friends, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: The egg nog is gone. Time to get into the next jug!
Me & My Muse – Day 1259: And Now the Bedding…
Considering that the music took so long yesterday, I am working on something that I wanted to get done, but didn’t have time for.
As for the Rogue One recap, I am still quite tired. You will see it before Christmas. I assure you.
Time to take it easy now. Just one more week until Christmas!
Today’s high is going to be 17 degrees and the silver lining is getting my bedding washed.
To those of you who like clean bedding, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: I did that a couple of days ago. I just love the smell of fresh sheets!
Me & My Muse – Day 1258: Playlist is Done!
Okay. Transferring all of my iTunes playlist to my new laptop was a nightmare. My reward? Watching some totally awesome Christmas specials, of course! Time to go and do that.
Today’s high is going to be 23 degrees and the silver lining is getting my iTunes playlist done.
To those of you who love music, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: Wow! That must have been annoying. Let me know when you start the specials. I will watch them with you!
Me & My Muse – Day 1257: Jedi Hangover
What do you get when you stay up until three in the morning and wake up at six in the morning? You get a Jedi Hangover. It’s really just a headache. The movie was good, but the next day side effects aren’t.
Okay. The headache really isn’t as bad as I’m making it out to be. Now I’ll get to the movie…
That’s strange. My Muse is not responding. I’m guessing that she’s still sleeping. We’ll discuss the movie when she’s awake. I promise.
Today’s high is going to be 19 degrees and the silver lining will be having the weekend off.
To all of you who have experienced next day headaches, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.
Muse: *snore* No…Darth Vader…Stay away…AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Me & My Muse Go To the Movies #8: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – Part I
I just got back from the movie, and…
Muse: We’re not doing this.
But…
Muse: I enjoyed the movie a lot. I’m just too tired to discuss it tonight. Can we discuss it tomorrow after I get some sleep? Good night!
Sure. We can do that.
Just to let you know, the movie was good and tomorrow, I’ll tell you why…
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